Avoiding Kidney Disease and Its Complications

"See how surprised you are? Move your hands up…farther…there."

Dr. Mehmet Oz was instructing an audience member of The Dr. Oz Show to "find her kidneys"—and she placed her hands on the small of her back, just above her waist, as most of us would.

But this fan's hands were a good six inches below her kidneys, and Dr. Oz slid her hands up her back.

Apparently there's plenty we don't know about our kidneys. A recent study by researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center found that of 401 people who already had been diagnosed with some type of kidney disease, 32 percent didn't know that their disease was serious.

"It's a silent killer," says Bryan Van Steenbergen, public relations manager for the National Kidney Foundation. "You may have no idea your kidneys aren't functioning correctly. We see cases all the time where people went to the doctor in severe pain, lethargic, and the next day they were on dialysis. They were in complete kidney failure and didn't know it."

Many people also don't realize that if they suffer from high blood pressure or diabetes, they are at increased risk for kidney disease. "A healthy kidney filters 200 liters of blood every day," Van Steenbergen says. "If the kidneys don't work properly, toxins build up and that puts a strain on the heart, liver, brain, all the organs. That's why we want everyone who has a chronic illness to have their kidneys checked as well."

Van Steenbergen offers three simple tips for avoiding kidney disease and its complications:

1)  Stay on top of your blood pressure, especially if you're at risk because you have diabetes, high blood pressure or a family history of kidney disease. "Checking blood pressure once a week could save your life," he says.

2)  Eat healthy. Skip the salt for healthier blood pressure.

3)  Get regular exercise.

About 26 million Americans have been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. Of those, slightly more than 382,000 are currently on dialysis—but Van Steenbergen wants people to know, dialysis is not the end of your life.

"People work it into their routines," he says. "They'll come into a center at 6 a.m., three times a week, and be at work by 10 a.m. I know one guy who has been doing that for 40 years and he feels great—but you can avoid it by taking care of yourself."

CONNECT THE DOTS

The National Kidney Foundation offers free screenings where they test for kidney function, blood pressure and blood sugar levels. To find a screening near you, check the National Kidney Foundation’s website. The Mayo Clinic provides information on chronic kidney failure. To sign up for the Kidney Foundation's free e-newsletter, go to this NKF site. You can learn more about dialysis at the Kidney Times website. For more news about kidney disease, check out our post, "Incompatible Kidney Transplants."

Mary Mihaly 08 Dec, 2011

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Source: http://www.healthymagination.com/blog/avoiding-kidney-disease-and-its-complications/
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